Climate change, conflict, and growing water scarcity are threatening agriculture and food security worldwide. The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) is an opportunity to generate stronger political attention and support for climate action on agriculture and food security while delivering practical progress on implementation. Success would mean ensuring that agriculture and food remain firmly embedded in future UNFCCC discussions, whether through an extension of the current work program or a successor program.
Agricultural production is particularly exposed to climate impacts, such as droughts, floods, and extreme heat, while also contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions—up to 40 percent of global methane emissions. Supporting sustainable agriculture and climate resilient food systems is essential to both safeguarding food security and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
A Brief History of Agriculture Under the UNFCCC
Over the last decade, agriculture has steadily gained prominence in the UNFCCC process. The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA), adopted at COP23 in 2017, was the first dedicated work program focused on agriculture and food. From 2017 until 2022, it supported Parties in understanding the connections between agriculture, food security, and climate change.
At COP27 in 2022, Parties agreed to establish the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Implementation of Climate Action on Agriculture and Food Security (SJWA), a continuation of the KJWA. The SJWA shifted to focusing on implementation and enabling action beyond knowledge sharing.
What to Watch at COP31
The SJWA mandate currently runs until COP31, when Parties are expected to report to the COP on its progress and outcomes. This makes COP31 a critical milestone for determining the future direction of the only work program that focuses solely on agriculture and food under the UNFCCC.
In his first letter, the COP31 President-Designate stated that Türkiye’s priorities for the COP31 Action Agenda include supporting food security and developing sustainable agricultural systems. The COP31 Presidency plans to host high level dialogues on women and youth in farming. Sally Higgins, the COP31 Youth Champion, is a farmer herself.
At COP31, Parties have an opportunity to:
- take stock of the progress and the outcomes of the SJWA to report to the COP including its seven objectives
- use the COP31 Action Agenda to elevate food security and sustainable agriculture as political priorities
- support initiatives such as the Turquoise Nexus Initiative and other efforts that link climate resilience, food security, and sustainable agricultural development
- highlight the contributions of women, youth, farmers, and Indigenous Peoples in climate action for agriculture and food security
- ensure that outcomes from COP31 help inform broader climate processes, including the second global stocktake (GST2).
Agreeing on the Future of the SJWA
Parties will need to consider whether to launch an extension of the joint work or to agree to something new. Parties could launch a new work program at COP31 and consider expanding its scope to encompass the broader term “food system”—which has previously raised concerns given that its broad definition encompasses sectors like energy and waste.
Given the limited time available to discuss a future process, it may be more practical for Parties to extend the SJWA’s current mandate through to 1) COP32 (2027) to provide further time for negotiations; or 2) COP33 (2028) to align the process with the consideration of outcomes from the GST2.
Either way, Parties would benefit from intersessional work—possibly at the regional climate weeks—to have more time to advance climate action on agriculture, food security, and food systems.
The decision Parties take on whether and how to accelerate implementation on agriculture and food security at COP31 in Antalya will shape the future of action on agriculture under the UNFCCC for years to come.
